Summer Movie Games

By: Andrew Hayward

Wednesday May 24, 2006

Reverse the curse! Can these movie-based games come through, or should we expect the same old junk?
Here is a tip for the new or casual gamers that might be reading this: do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy a licensed movie game until you read the reviews. Movie games tease us for months up until their release. Of course they look good - they're based on multi-million dollar blockbusters. How can a game inspired by The Matrix fail? Neo is the cyberpunk version of Jesus! Yet, time and time again, movie games are unspectacular cash-ins, or are too limited by the source material to try anything new.

Rarely does a movie game transcend the stereotypes and truly deliver a great experience. In fact, the only ones I can think of are Spider-Man (and its sequel) and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Some others may be worth picking up used or at a sale price, but certainly not for full price. I have already had the chance to play X-Men: The Official Game and Over the Hedge this summer, and neither provided more than an average experience. Here is a look at four of the games based upon the summer's biggest films, including analysis based upon available information.


Superman Returns
June 30th (Movie), October 31st (Game)

Initially set for the simultaneous launch, the game version of Superman Returns has been pushed back to a late fall release. Expected to launch alongside the DVD release of the film, Superman Returns represents Electronic Arts' first attempt at doing justice to the Man of Steel. Previous Superman games have been exceedingly terrible; Superman for the Nintendo 64 is still considered one of the worst games ever made. The problem here is the same as the problem that developers have with Neo from The Matrix: how do you base a game upon an almost invincible character? Where is the challenge in a game like that? Also, the sensation of flight has been a huge issue in previous Superman games, with developers struggling to create an intuitive control scheme to handle such a power.

It is far too early to tell if Electronic Arts has reversed the curse, but Superman Returns is definitely heading in the right direction. EA Tiburon (Madden NFL) has been put in charge of the title, and the game features the likenesses of the major actors from the film. Metropolis is said to contain some eighty miles of open space, in which you will be able to weave around buildings of extreme heights. Superman can fly at nearly 800 miles per hour, which should make for an unbelievable sensation, especially on the Xbox 360. All early signs on this title point to success, but history still weighs heavily on my mind. Definitely wait for the reviews on this one. Superman Returns will be available on every major system currently on the market.

The Da Vinci Code
May 19th (Movie), May 16th (Game)

Both versions of The Da Vinci Code were released last week, and the film received a poor critical response (our own Lexi Feinberg gave it just two stars). We will be posting a full review of the game at some point next week, but here is what we currently know. Released for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC, The Da Vinci Code is an action-adventure title that guides you through the paces of the film's narrative, which is based upon Dan Brown's sensational novel. Much of the game requires puzzle-solving, though there are also several action scenes. The game was developed by The Collective, who previously scored a licensed hit with Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the Xbox. Considering the quality of the film, it might be tough for The Da Vinci Code to succeed, though it is possible if it can make up the difference with quality gameplay. We will weigh in on this next week with our full review.

Cars
June 9th (Movie), June 6th (Game)

Cars is the latest film from Pixar, best known for Toy Story and The Incredibles. In the film, talking cars take a road trip to the Piston Cup Championship, and well... learn lessons along the way. You know the drill. Unsurprisingly, Cars is a racing game, though the open-world premise should allow gamers a chance to progress through the game however they please. What is surprising is that Rainbow Studios is developing the title. Rainbow is best known for the MX vs. ATV and Splashdown series. Additional characters have been created for this title, which should boast at least ten hours of gameplay. It will probably be aimed at a young audience, but Rainbow Studios is known for making fun, fast games that anyone can get into. Keep an eye on this one.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
July 7th (Movie), June 27th (Games)

The handheld versions of Pirates of the Caribbean feature the same name as the film, though the console release sports a different subtitle: The Legend of Jack Sparrow. The console game comes to us via Bethesda Softworks, best known for their work on the Elder Scrolls series. Bethesda also made the first game in the series, which was an open-ended adventure that had no direct tie to the film. The sequel is clearly a different affair, featuring the likenesses of both Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. In addition, the gameplay is clearly more of an action game, which is an unfortunate crutch that many movie games rely on.

The hack-and-slash elements of X-Men: The Official Game almost ruined that title, and we can only hope that The Legend of Jack Sparrow charts a different course. Dead Man's Chest for the handhelds is being developed by Disney Interactive, and looks to have gameplay similar to the console version. Additionally, some ship battle sequences have been tossed in for variety. The Legend of Jack Sparrow and Dead Man's Chest both look visually impressive on their respective systems, but neither looks to offer an innovative gameplay experience. Expect the usual, but hope for the best.